When we were an established league team, transfer deadline day used to be brilliant. Watching the sky sports reporters being terrorised by fans and waiting for the latest funny costume was worth the pain of listening to the waffle of the pundits. Unfortunately, our first time back in Jim White’s circus on Thursday was neither interesting nor amusing.

Deadline day has become a self-perpetuating glorification of the greediness of the Premier League and I have grown to hate it. To add insult to injury, we then fell victim to the last minute transfer of a player that then arguably left us a bit light in terms of squad depth.

We can all argue until the cows come home about how much the club should been prepared for Oliver Norburn leaving but the fact remains that the total closing of the window by the end of August puts great pressure on small clubs. This system benefits bigger, richer and more established teams who are able to collect players and retain big squads, leaving the rest to try and strike it lucky in the loan market. And until we start moving further up the pyramid, we will be vulnerable and likely that lose our good players.

We have very quickly forgotten the great comeback against Stevenage on Saturday as we got sucked into the speculation of who might be coming or going. I never thought I would look back fondly at our time in the National League but not being involved in the transfer shenanigans was definitely a bonus.

Tranmere Rovers FC play their first home league game tomorrow for three seasons against Cheltenham Town, a team who were relegated from League 2 with us but managed to bounce back at the first time of asking. Probably a fitting first opponent for us I suppose but I would have given my right arm for it to have been Forest Green.

Our team displayed a few weaknesses defensively last Saturday but also showed that the attacking side of our game was in good nick - an area we lamented over and worried about during the preseason period if I remember correctly. The move for the first goal in particular was an absolute joy to behold and it was a throw back to the passing prowess of Tranmere teams of old.

Most importantly was the spirit that we showed to come back from 2-0 down after less that half an hour, away from home on a boiling hot day. That is the same spirit we have seen in the last two seasons and the same spirit that got us over the line at Wembley. This is what I am glad to be reminding myself about because it has dispelled the false doom and gloom that descended on Thursday evening of this week.

Mickey Mellon fostered and built our team spirit and he is still our manager. The good performance last Saturday was achieved without Andy Cook, Eddie Clarke and Oliver Norburn and with Cole Stockton. Two players (Ridehalgh and Buxton) with league experience are currently injured and will strengthen the squad on their return. The loan window remains open until the end of August (weren’t Ben Gibson, Jake Cassidy and Liam Palmer all loanees?).

So please forgive me if I remain optimistic and positive about our chances this season, and still have an incredible amount of trust in the stewardship of our club.

But also please forgive me for having to leave it here because it really does sound like the cows are coming home as the racket they are making outside our cottage is incredible. I think I may sneak off to bed and dream of a Tranmere victory instead.

With more new signings than any other club it is impossible to know what to expect from Cheltenham.The point last week was welcome and the team spirit clear.We also conceded whilst having most of the play. The one thing that is certain,however,is that first games of the season are poor predictors for the season ahead.
Any kind of win will do as wins build confidence and momentum.

Nice write up Kenny I am very confident for the new season. i am very pleased to be back in L2 and i agree about the left overs situation that the lower league clubs find themselves in because of the transfer market deadlines.The monies paid for top players would keep many lower division clubs going for a few seasons.
WE have to do the best with what we have in life and its same when running a Football Team but as in life we don't know what is going to happen tomorrow.So we should enjoy what we have and do our best to support what we love.If Tranmere is in your blood then it does not matter if things go wrong now and then.We all Know we are proud to part of the SWA and we will always
Keep the Faith

Nice one Kenny. I don't mind the doom and gloom when it's warranted, but surely we should all still be riding the crest of the wave that got us back in the football league. Without sounding like a pubescent teenager, I'm buzzin' for today's game and buzzin' for the season ahead. Last week's result, performance and fantastic away support should have cemented our faith; I'm gutted I didn't go and I'm still kicking myself(sorry, still kicking my son who didn't make enough fuss to persuade his mum to give us the green light to go! She has stated that we can go to the Swindon game on the way down for our hols; it was a comment made under the influence of several large glasses of red wine though!). Enough of my life story and back to today's game. If memory serves me right, the last time we played Cheltenham we witnessed possibly the worst ever free-kick routine in the history of football! Let's hope they're still firing the same blanks today and we're fully loaded to bag the three points. I'm going for a 2-1 victory and a vibrant, noisy PP; let's rock the joint! I'll be the one in the Town Paddock joining in with the frivolity then quickly sitting down as I realise I'm the only one and my son is staring at me looking hugely embarrassed! So come on you Town Paddock residents, let your hair down (for those that still have any) and enjoy our return to the football league; we're not bit players in a James Bond movie - you only live once!

thought at times during the 1st half we were unplayable banks & Jennings were a class act today harris played as if he had a point to prove just wanted the 2nd one to go in to relax a bit more thought the crowd were brilliant even late on when we went a bit flat a long way to go but felt more confident going home

Good result, unbeaten start, Not to be underestimated was the work of Cole Stockton for the Nors strike, making a nuisance of himself with the centre halves and Norwood picking on the scraps, good signs.

Cole could do his work a bit more freely today than last week as he was of a similar height and build to the 2 CBs.

Only downside (and it’s extremely minor) is that we’re yet to see Larnell get any minutes after a full pre-season in what he performed decently for me. More positively that we have those sorts of options if we do need them as he can turn a game IMO.

A good result, but I would have liked the team to stick another of the chances away. The conversion rate of shots to shots on could have been a little higher, because then a second goal negates the possibility of a countering goal having the potential to take two points away, but I just hope Norwood doesn't get too much pressure on him to score, because when he doesn't Tranmere could look a bit wanting when they attack and if Norwood keeps doing what he's doing he could be a target in January.

So other players need to show they can back him up, so some people can feel a little more at ease if he does go, because some people have been getting a little flustered at the departure of Cook, in relation to the loss of goals it might cause and those concerns are merited if perhaps a little over-stated at times and that's no major criticism of anyone on here.

Some people could get a bit antsy if Tranmere look like they lack a bit of midfield bite after 10 games and Norwood looks like a player walking away for potentially over £200,000 in January.

Great start to the season though to get 4 from 6.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

Over the 90 minutes very good all round performance particularly first half.

Just a pity, we couldn't have eased the nerves by adding a second but, for their goalkeeper it could have been 3 or 4.Nors was again, IMO, was very good today despite the misses and misplaced passes he seemed to be trying too hard at times?

Most pleasing was the quality of the football played, I realize sterner tests than Cheltenham await but, with a couple of additions to the team, we should have a comfortable season.

Thoroughly entertaining match ,particularly the 1st half when,at times, they looked unplayable.Shame about Sutton's knock but hopefully he'll be back quickly..Norwood has taken to the EFL with ease and Banks looks a class act in midfield.
Well done MM and the boys.

Matt34A good result, but I would have liked the team to stick another of the chances away. The conversion rate of shots to shots on could have been a little higher, because then a second goal negates the possibility of a countering goal having the potential to take two points away, but I just hope Norwood doesn't get too much pressure on him to score, because when he doesn't Tranmere could look a bit wanting when they attack and if Norwood keeps doing what he's doing he could be a target in January.
So other players need to show they can back him up, so some people can feel a little more at ease if he does go, because some people have been getting a little flustered at the departure of Cook, in relation to the loss of goals it

might cause and those concerns are merited if perhaps a little over-stated at times and that's no major criticism of anyone on here.

Some people could get a bit antsy if Tranmere look like they lack a bit of midfield bite after 10 games and Norwood looks like a player walking away for potentially over £200,000 in January.

Great start to the season though to get 4 from 6.

Norwood was class today but we would of got a couple more if he chose to pass

Lots of positives and we should've battered them. Thank God they were so toothless up front because we could have been taught a very harsh lesson for our wastefulness. Hopefully the composure up top will come as we settle into the division. Very good that we're playing quality football and creating chances, though I suspect we've played two of the weaker teams in the league.

Aldo'smuzzyLots of positives and we should've battered them. Thank God they were so toothless up front because we could have been taught a very harsh lesson for our wastefulness. Hopefully the composure up top will come as we settle into the division. Very good that we're playing quality football and creating chances, though I suspect we've played two of the weaker teams in the league.

Aldo'smuzzyLots of positives and we should've battered them. Thank God they were so toothless up front because we could have been taught a very harsh lesson for our wastefulness. Hopefully the composure up top will come as we settle into the division. Very good that we're playing quality football and creating chances, though I suspect we've played two of the weaker teams in the league.

Of course you don't. Nobody does. We do know, though, that Stevenage were there for the taking last week, and it's unlikely that Crawley (who they beat today) will pull up any trees, and that Cheltenham fans are bracing themselves for a relegation fight, especially having failed to replace Eisa.

But hey, who would've predicted Macc would win the league last season?!

Credit to the lady wearing pink and black and the others in the Kop who came to the aid of the Cheltenham player, Duko, when he had a nasty fall over the barrier. The SWA called for medical help and he got it. Hope the lad recovers. Looks like he had a nasty dislocation of his shoulder.

Well done to the medical staff and, more importantly, the SWA who screamed for help when they witnessed an opposition player have a bad accident.

YiggsyCredit to the lady wearing pink and black and the others in the Kop who came to the aid of the Cheltenham player, Duko, when he had a nasty fall over the barrier. The SWA called for medical help and he got it. Hope the lad recovers. Looks like he had a nasty dislocation of his shoulder.
Well done to the medical staff and, more importantly, the SWA who screamed for help when they witnessed an opposition player have a bad accident.

Only thing I’d add to that is it’s a good job that didn’t happen last season up at the other end of the pitch.

Remember the pictures from the Wrexham game of the metal poles from the removed seats on the bottom row of the Cowshed sticking up? Could’ve done some serious damage...

Thoroughly enjoyed the game yesterday and as others have said, there were some sublime pockets of play in the first half; I'd go as far as to say those periods of play were some of the best I've seen at PP for some years. Banks was class; who's Ollie Norburn? Smith was exciting to watch whilst he was on. Norwood's goal was superb and his work rate was outstanding; just wish he'd released the ball a little earlier on the occasions we broke. Like others, I feel hugely reassured that we'll cope in this league. I think it may well be an advantage that we're the "new boys" as we may be underestimated and cause a few surprises. It was noticeable that the tempo of the game has upped from the National League, but we looked well-equipped for that. The clean sheet and the defensive performance was also adequate and we limited Cheltenham to very few chances. Their no. 20 Maddox looked a class player and waltzed past two or three of our players on occasions. Great atmosphere in the ground and long may it continue. It was also refreshing to see a game with no time wasting or noticeable gamesmanship; something that was the norm over the last few years. Doesn't it feel good being back in the football league!

Results so far have been good and encouraging but it is for good reason that any judgements need to be left until around ten games. At this stage it is impossible to know the relative prospects of the opposition but by ten games there is likely to be a balance to the fixtures.If we have anything above from 14 points upwards it will represent a very sound start.

Matt34A good result, but I would have liked the team to stick another of the chances away. The conversion rate of shots to shots on could have been a little higher, because then a second goal negates the possibility of a countering goal having the potential to take two points away, but I just hope Norwood doesn't get too much pressure on him to score, because when he doesn't Tranmere could look a bit wanting when they attack and if Norwood keeps doing what he's doing he could be a target in January.
So other players need to show they can back him up, so some people can feel a little more at ease if he does go, because some people have been getting a little flustered at the departure of Cook, in relation to the loss of goals it

might cause and those concerns are merited if perhaps a little over-stated at times and that's no major criticism of anyone on here.

Some people could get a bit antsy if Tranmere look like they lack a bit of midfield bite after 10 games and Norwood looks like a player walking away for potentially over £200,000 in January.

Great start to the season though to get 4 from 6.

Norwood was class today but we would of got a couple more if he chose to pass

Agree, The 4 breakaway's we had he could have used the ball better. Stockton was'nt to pleased with him. Brilliant goal though

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net